Module 3 - The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

Bibliographic Information

Goble, P. (1992). The girl who loved wild horses. New York: Scholastic.

Summary

A young girl from an Indian village has a special bond with the village horses.  During a thunderstorm she jumps onto the back of a horse and is taken far from home with the frightened herd.  A spotted stallion told her he was the leader of the wild horses and asked her to stay with them.  A year later, two hunters found her riding with the wild horses and leading a colt.  She was taken back to her village, but she was not happy there and decided to go back and live with the wild horses.  The girl received gifts from her parents and gave them the colt in exchange.  Each year she came back and gave her parents a colt.  One year she did not return and hunters saw a beautiful mare with the spotted stallion.  The hunters decided that the girl had turned into the mare.

Impressions

This is a very good story that allows children a glimpse at the past Indian lifestyle.  Any child with affection for horses will be delighted with this story.  The illustrations are colorful and interesting too.

Reviews

This is a children's book that is based on the Lakota legend of where a girl who loves horses finally becomes one of them. This is a story that was more than likely told to children around a campfire. There were many stories that were told around campfires. Some were fictional, while most were events that actually happened. It was up to the individual to determine which ones were real and which ones were not. Each one had meaning. In my opinion, this is a variation of an actual event. Since symbolism is a big part of our oral culture, I believe that this story is a prime example.

Watts, Linda S. (n.d.). Book Reviews: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, by Paul Goble. Helium. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1475552-the-girl-who-loved-wild-horses-by-paul-goble

There are many parallel legends--the seal women, for example, with their strange sad longings--but none is more direct than this American Indian story of a girl who is carried away in a horses' stampede. . . to ride thenceforth by the side of a beautiful stallion who leads the wild horses. The girl had always loved horses, and seemed to understand them ""in a special way""; a year after her disappearance her people find her riding beside the stallion, calf in tow, and take her home despite his strong resistance. But she is unhappy and returns to the stallion; after that, a beautiful mare is seen riding always beside him. Goble tells the story soberly, allowing it to settle, to find its own level. The illustrations are in the familiar striking Goble style, but softened out here and there with masses of flowers and foliage--suitable perhaps for the switch in subject matter from war to love, but we miss the spanking clean design of Custer's Last Battle and The Fetterman Fight.

(n.d.). The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.  Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/paul-goble-2/the-girl-who-loved-wild-horses/

Library Use

Librarians could use this book to introduce legends and myths from different cultures.  Books from other cultures could be read and students could compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the books.  This activity could be used as a whole group or in small groups with discussion and sharing.